Ayame Sohma
by SeraphAngel
Summary: Mine is Ayame’s best friend. Will she be able to handle knowing his secret? [Set in the anime]
1. Ayame

Author's Note: Ah, Ayame… I love him, and I love Mine too, so I wanted to write a fic about them. 

Title: Ayame Sohma

Rating: PG

Spoilers: Episode 20 of the anime… and some other stuff…

Summary: Mine is Ayame's best friend. Will she be able to handle knowing his secret? 

Disclaimer: I don't own Ayame (*sigh*), Mine, or anything else in _Fruits Basket_. 

Setting: This story takes place after episode 20. 

*** = setting change

*~* = begin flashback

~*~ = end flashback

__

italics = emphasis

CAPITALS = emphasis

~Ayame~

Gorgeous, confident, and eccentric. Three words that perfectly describe Ayame Sohma. 

These thoughts ran through Mine Kuramae's head as her boss came into the room. 

"Good morning, Mine!" Ayame Sohma said, loud and enthusiastic as always. 

Mine smiled. "Good morning, tencho." 

Ayame thought back to the previous day, when his darling brother Yuki and his adorable friend Tohru Honda had come to visit his shop. "I think yesterday was a success. Don't you, Mine?" 

"Well, it was a step in the right direction, at least."

Ayame grinned. "Well, let's get started. What should we work on today?"

Mine produced a huge pile of unfinished dresses seemingly from out of nowhere. She smiled cheerfully and took the top one off the pile. It was a stewardess uniform. Ayame was holding a piece of paper that stated the client's orders. Mine glanced at it and got to work. There were only a few adjustments to make to this one. Ayame started working on another outfit. 

*** 

Half an hour later, Mine was finished. She held up the stewardess uniform and said, "I'm finished. Now we need to see if it fits right."

"Good work, Mine." Ayame stood, took it from her, and ran into the dressing room. He came back out about a second later (he was very good at changing clothes quickly). "It seems fine to me," he said. 

Mine circled him, examining every part of the outfit. If it wasn't perfect, it didn't come from this store. She pulled gently on parts of it to make sure that it was okay. She adjusted the buttons. Her fingers lightly touched Ayame's long, unusual, whitish-silver hair, and not entirely by accident. He really did have nice hair. It was soft, silky, and not once had she ever known him to have a split end. 

"Mine?" Ayame's voice brought her back to the present. "What is it?"

She had dawdled too long. "Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking—" 

"What?" Ayame had a friendly smile on his face. 

"I was wondering if you'd look better in this with your hair braided." 

Ayame chuckled. "All right, Mine. Try it." He sat very still in a chair as Mine moved behind him and ran her fingers through his hair. "Do you think Yuki will ever visit again?" he asked. 

"Maybe." Mine laughed. "He will if his friend Tohru-chan does." She was about a third of the way done. "It would be nice if he did."

Ayame nodded. He was silent for a minute. It was nice to have Mine doing his hair. Her touch was gentle, and she always got it right the first time around. That's what made her a perfect assistant. What would he do without her? "Mine…"

"What is it, tencho?" 

"Are you ever planning to get married?"

"Ah?" That question had come out of nowhere. "Why do you ask?"

Ayame sighed dramatically. "Well, how will I run the shop if you get married and move away? It would be disaster! You remember how it was before I hired you."

Mine finished off the braid with a hair tie. "I don't think you'll have to worry about that. And even if I _did _get married, I wouldn't move away. I like working here. It's fun." She moved around to the front as Ayame stood up. She nodded in approval. "Very nice."

Ayame looked in a mirror. "Wonderful, Mine. How do you do it?"

Mine tilted her head. "Do what?" 

"Make me look perfect." Ah, the ego shows itself yet again.

Mine blushed and shrugged. Then she smiled. He was giving her too much credit. After all, _he _was the one who was so good looking to begin with. 

*** 

"Mine, I'm bored."

It was two months after Yuki had come to visit Ayame's shop. Ayame was bored. That meant he was thinking of doing something different. 

Mine waited patiently for him to tell her his thoughts. 

"I think I'll visit Gure-san today." Ayame turned to look at his brown-haired assistant. "Do you want to come?"

"Me?" Mine squeaked. Ayame always went away by himself. He never took her along. Well, except to that one convention a while back… But still, she had never seen his cousin Shigure's house. 

Ayame nodded. "Is that a yes?"

Mine nodded slowly, still a bit shocked. 

Ayame was already on the phone. "Gure-san, I wish to visit you today." He paused. "Yes, of course I missed you. Why do you think I'm coming?" he said playfully. He paused again to listen. "By the way, Mine will be coming too." He laughed. "Yes, this _will_ be interesting, won't it? See you in a bit, Gure-san." He hung up the phone. 

The two of them went to go change their clothes. When Mine stepped out of the dressing room, Ayame was standing at the door waiting for her. He was wearing a dark blue outfit. "Mine, you look fabulous." 

Mine was wearing a pretty white dress. She grinned. "As do you."

"Well, shall we?" Ayame said, holding out his hand. "We mustn't deprive the world of our incredible style."

Mine laughed and took his hand. 

*** 

"What do you mean, Ayame's coming?" Kyo and Yuki demanded at the same time. Shigure had just broken the news to them.

Shigure grinned. "I mean, he'll be here any minute."

"WHAT?!" 

Tohru was smiling happily. "It will be so nice to see Ayame-san again." 

"Tohru-kun, guess what?" Shigure announced. "Mine will be coming as well!"

Tohru smiled even more. "Really?"

Shigure nodded. 

"We're here!" a boisterous voice called. 

Everyone turned to look at the doorway, where Ayame and Mine were standing. Ayame rushed over to Shigure. "Gure-san, how are you? I missed you terribly."

"I was so lonely without you, A-ya." 

Yuki sweatdropped. Those two were at it again. 

Kyo was fighting an urge to scream at the two of them to shut up with their inane comments. He really wanted to, but he had promised himself to try to control his temper for Tohru's sake. 

Mine, who had come into the house and closed the door behind her, only smiled cheerily at the actions of her employer and his cousin. Yuki and the orange-haired boy next to him looked murderous. Tohru, on the other hand, was smiling. Mine sat down next to her. "How have you been, Tohru-chan?" 

"Very well, thank you," Tohru replied. "And you, Mine-san?"

Mine smiled. Tohru was so thoughtful. She could see why Yuki was so taken with her. "I'm fine."

"Yosh!" That final word indicated the end of Ayame and Shigure's banter. 

Yuki and Kyo relaxed visibly.

"Mine!" Ayame said loudly. "You remember Gure-san."

Shigure raised a hand in welcome. 

"And Yuki-kun and Tohru-kun."

The two of them smiled at her. 

"This here is Kyon-kichi," Ayame said, gesturing to the orange-haired boy. 

"Stop calling me that!" Kyo yelled. "My name is Kyo!" 

"Nice to meet you," Mine said. 

Nobody said anything for a moment. A slight breeze blew into the house. 

"Well, who's hungry?" Ayame asked cheerfully. 

"Oh, I haven't made lunch!" Tohru exclaimed. She jumped up and rushed to the kitchen. 

Ayame grabbed her hand as she blew past. Tohru stopped in her tracks and almost fell onto him, but regained her balance just in time. (AN: Whew!)

"Don't be silly, Tohru-kun! We'll all go out to eat!"

"_All_ of us?" Yuki asked, clearly terrified at the idea. 

Ayame grinned. "Of course!" He turned to Shigure. "Gure-san, where shall we go?"

"Hmm…" Shigure pondered the question for a moment. "I know!" he said with his finger in the air. "Come!" He grabbed Kyo as Ayame grabbed Yuki. The two of them dragged the younger boys out the door with Tohru and Mine following. 

*** 

The company of six was seated at a table of the restaurant that Shigure had suggested. 

"What will you have, Mine?" Ayame asked. 

"Hmm…" Mine looked over the menu. "I don't know…"

Ayame turned to Tohru. "How about you, Tohru-kun? Or will I have to order for you like I did last time?"

Tohru blushed slightly. "Umm…" She glanced over the top of her menu, and whom should she see but Hatsuharu Sohma! 

"Hatsuharu-san!" she exclaimed, surprised. 

Haru, who was standing at the entrance (blocking it, no less), turned to look at her. He walked over to the table. "Hello, everyone."

"Haru! What are you doing here?" Shigure asked. 

"I was walking home from school yesterday when I saw this butterfly… The next thing I knew, Momiji had disappeared and I was standing in front of a fish market..."

Everyone sweatdropped. 

"You got lost, Haru," Kyo said. "Just admit it."

Ayame recovered and said grandly, "Mine, meet Hatsuharu Sohma!" He gestured toward the boy with white and black hair. 

Mine nodded and smiled. "Nice to meet you. I'm Mine Kuramae." 

Haru greeted her, then decided to sit down, since he didn't want to go out and get lost again. 

Ayame whispered to Mine behind his menu, "Haru is always getting lost."

"Oh."

*** 

After the meal, Kyo volunteered to help Haru find his way home. He didn't want to be around Ayame any more than he had to. He didn't trust Ayame and Shigure with Tohru, but if Yuki was there, then she would be okay. Even if Yuki was just a stinking mouse. 

Ayame and Mine walked out of the restaurant, arms linked, as Kyo and Haru headed for Haru's home. Shigure followed them, with Yuki and Tohru close behind. 

"Tencho…"

"Yes, Mine?" 

"Where are we going?"

Ayame stopped and looked around. "Hmm. Gure-san," he called, turning his head, "where are we going?"

"I suppose we'll just go back to my house."

Ayame nodded and turned in the right direction. 

Mine smiled. Ayame was so silly. That's why it was so fun working with him. She remembered when they had started working together. 

*~* 

"Good work, Mine!" Ayame declared, holding up the finished product of the first thing Mine had started working on when he hired her. "This will be sure to please the customer!"

Mine smiled happily. "Thank you, tencho."

"This store is destined to be a success with you working here now!"

Mine looked up at the tall, handsome man. "That's very kind of you. And it was very kind of you to hire me. No one else wanted to. Arigatou."

Ayame's golden eyes focused on her. "It's a good thing they didn't hire you or else I wouldn't have such a wonderful assistant."

Mine smiled again and, although it wasn't in her nature, moved forward to hug him. 

Ayame stepped back and caught her arms.

Mine looked at him, puzzled. 

Ayame was breathing hard. He also had this look of fear on his face, something that Mine had never seen on him before. She hadn't known him that long, so she obviously hadn't seen all his expressions, but it still looked wrong on him. Mine realized that Ayame was shaking. 

"Tencho?"

"I don't have a lot of rules, Mine," Ayame said in a low voice, "but one that I do have is _do not hug me_."

"Why?" Mine asked, wondering if he had issues with being touched. 

"Just don't. Please." Ayame's beautiful golden eyes had the most pleading look in them. "Promise me." 

"I—I promise," Mine said, intending to keep that promise. If he didn't want to tell her why, then he didn't have to. He did have a right to privacy, after all. 

Ayame nodded and let go of her. "Okay. Let's—let's get back to work," he said, trying to rid himself of his anxiety.

~*~ 

Mine had kept her promise well. In all the years that she had worked for Ayame, not once had she hugged him, even when she was very excited. She never wanted to see that look of fear on his face again.

Because she had kept her promise, working with Ayame was great. She and Ayame grew close. They had much in common. They both were very interested in fashion, they were both eccentric… Mine became Ayame's confidante. Ayame told her all about his problems with his brother Yuki. He also amused her with funny stories about his past (most of them having taken place during his high school years). She listened, she understood, and she tried to help him. 

Mine leaned on Ayame's shoulder. It was a cold day, but Ayame was warm. Ayame was always warm. He was wearing a coat at the moment. To Mine, it almost seemed that Ayame was afraid of the cold. If it got a little too chilly, Ayame would turn on the heater. Oh well. Everyone has his or her own little quirks. 

TO BE CONTINUED… 

Author's Note: I thought that was nice… Did you? Please review! I want to know what people think of this story.


	2. Mine

Author's Note: Hmm… I'm not sure how exactly this story will go… But I hope it's interesting… And… I think Ayame is out of character… I'm trying to get him back into character, but it doesn't seem to be working… Come to think of it, Mine's out of character too… Argh… 

Title: Ayame Sohma

Rating: PG

Spoilers: Episode 20 of the anime… and some other stuff…

Summary: Mine is Ayame's best friend. Will she be able to handle knowing his secret?

Disclaimer: I don't own Ayame (*sigh*), Mine, or anything else in _Fruits Basket_. 

Setting: This story takes place after episode 20. 

*** = setting change

*~* = begin flashback

~*~ = end flashback

__

italics = emphasis

__

italics = thoughts

~Mine~

Ayame and Mine were preparing to leave Shigure's house. 

"Yuki," Ayame said in one last effort to connect with his brother. "When will you be visiting again?"

Yuki didn't say anything.   


Tohru piped up, "Oh, Yuki-kun, we have to see Ayame-san's shop again! It was so nice last time!"

Yuki nodded. "I don't know when I will have the time, though."

"Okay," Ayame replied. "But if you don't come, I'll be forced to come here all the time…"

Yuki's eyes widened and he nodded repeatedly. "Don't worry. I will, I will."

Ayame grinned. He and Mine said their goodbyes (Ayame: "Until next time, Gure-san!" Shigure: "I'll miss you dearly, A-ya!") and exited Shigure's house. 

*** 

Ayame was lying in bed, half-awake. He couldn't seem to fall completely asleep. He started thinking about Yuki again. _Why wasn't I a better brother to him? It's all my fault. It's because of me that Yuki can barely tolerate me. The only reason that he will even speak to me is because of Tohru. She's helping him in a way that I never could. _

He sighed and rolled over onto his side. His thoughts drifted to his assistant. _Tohru's helping Yuki like Mine helped me. Mine… she understands me. I wish I could let her know about our family secret. Things would be easier then. But only _if _she accepts it. _

A blast of cold air hit Ayame. He got up and padded over to his window, which he had forgotten to close earlier. He shut it, then went back to bed, shivering slightly. _It's cold,_ he thought, getting back under the covers. Ayame didn't like the cold. As a cold-blooded creature, Ayame the snake would become weak if the weather was too cold. That was why he always made sure the temperature in his shop didn't get too low. If it did, he would turn into a snake, possibly in front of Mine. He didn't want her to find out and possibly go insane, like Momiji's mother had. It would change everything. Even if Hatori erased Mine's memory, Ayame would still know how Mine had reacted. And there was also the wrath of Akito to think about. Besides, he didn't want Hatori to have to erase anymore memories. It would just remind him of how he had had to erase Kana's memory. 

Hatori was a good friend. But he wasn't the same as Mine. Hatori had his own problems. Mine was always there for Ayame. Ayame felt a little guilty that when he and she talked, they usually talked about him instead of her. 

Why couldn't he fall asleep? Ayame started playing with a strand of his long hair. He let his mind wander for a moment. He thought about what he should say to Shigure the next time they met, which dresses needed to be altered, why Haru was always getting lost… Finally, he came across a very vivid memory—the first time he had cried in front of Mine. 

*~* 

"Tencho, what's wrong?" Mine asked, concerned. She had just come back from a short vacation that Ayame had urged her to take. 

Ayame had been in the middle of sewing something. Now he was staring off into space, and his eyes looked moist. 

Mine apparently knew that this change in Ayame's demeanor could only mean that something was bothering him, so she sat down beside him. "Are you all right?"

"Yuki…" he whispered. 

Mine tentatively put a hand on Ayame's shoulder. "Tencho?"

Ayame looked at her. "I'm a bad person—a bad brother."

"No, you're not," Mine said, trying to reassure him. "After all, you hired me when no one would give me a chance." 

"But Yuki—he's my _brother_…" Ayame put his head in his hands. He felt Mine slide her hand over so that her arm was around his shoulders. He tensed. "You promised," he said in a soft voice. 

Mine pulled her arm away. 

Ayame had only wanted to remind her that she couldn't hug him, but for some reason, there was a tone of regret in his voice. "You promised," he said again, this time so softly that only he could hear. He realized that he wanted to be comforted, but he couldn't let her hold him, because then she would discover his deep, dark secret. That thought, along with the idea that he had failed his brother, caused the tears to start flowing. 

"Tencho?" Mine's voice penetrated the shield of whitish-silver hair. "Are you—?"

She never finished her sentence, for Ayame fell quite suddenly onto the floor. 

"Tencho?!" Mine knelt down next to him and brushed away the strands of hair that covered his face. "You're crying."

Ayame was crying—no, he was weeping. He was thinking that it wasn't fair that the one person who could comfort him couldn't do it in the way that he wanted her to. He wanted to be hugged, to be held. But that stupid curse ruined everything. 

Mine gently lifted Ayame's head and put it on her lap. She had promised not to hug him, but she would do anything else that she could to help him. 

"Mine…"

"Shh…" Mine stroked Ayame's hair. "I'm here. I'm here, Ayame." It was the first time she had called him by his first name. 

Ayame looked up at her. "Thank you," he said quietly. 

~*~

Ayame smiled. Mine was so kind. And she hadn't told anyone that he had cried, which was good. Ayame Sohma, crying? 

Ayame buried his face in his pillow. If he pretended that his pillow was Mine's lap, then maybe he could go to sleep after all. 

*** 

Mine entered Ayame's shop the next day, ready to work. She closed the door behind her and paused. She could hear something. Someone was singing. 

She looked around and followed the voice to one of the back rooms. "Tencho?" she said, surprised. 

Ayame was sewing lace onto a dress. He was singing—humming the parts that he didn't know the words to—and looking very happy. "Good morning, Mine!" he said, standing up and grasping her hands. He pulled her around the room so that they were doing a little dance, and a strange one at that. 

Mine laughed. "Why are you so cheerful today?" 

"It's a wonderful day!" Ayame exclaimed. "Don't you ever just have those days where you feel great and you don't know why?"

"Well, I suppose so, but—"

"Hello?" 

Mine and Ayame both turned at the sound of a man's voice. They blinked. The man blinked and cleared his throat. "Hello, sir!" Ayame said, releasing Mine. "What can I do for you?" 

Ayame led the man out to the front, listening intently to the man's instructions. "Yes… yes… I'm sure we can do that… Great! It should be ready in a few days!"

Meanwhile, Mine had taken over sewing the lace onto the dress that Ayame had been working on a few minutes ago. She inspected Ayame's stitches. It was rare to find a man who was gifted with a needle. Ayame was that kind of man.

Ayame flounced back into the room. Mine looked up at him. She thought that Ayame's flashiness manifested itself physically. Ayame had the most peculiar golden eyes. They were strange, but they looked nice on him. And his hair was a strange color too. Mine used to wonder if he dyed it, but she had never found his roots to be a different color from the rest of his hair, so she had to believe that it was naturally like that. And besides, Ayame had said it was his natural hair color. There was no evidence to disprove his claim. Why would he lie to her about such a small matter, anyway? And yet, the possibility was still there. 

Ayame Sohma had secrets, and Mine was dying to know what they were. But she wouldn't pry; if he wanted her to know something, he would tell her. She was his friend, not a spy. She hoped that, eventually, he'd be able to tell her everything. 

*** 

Six months after that day, Ayame decided to take a few days off of work. In fact, he decided to close the store for a week. Yuki had come to visit three times in that time, twice with Tohru, and once with Tohru, Kyo, and Shigure. 

Ayame was happy. The weather wasn't too cold, his relationship with his brother was getting better, and he had lots of business. Actually, that last one was one of the reasons why he was taking a break. Too much work and not enough fun for Ayame. 

Ayame decided to yet again visit his dear friend and cousin Shigure. He showed up at Shigure's house at six o'clock in the morning and sneaked in. Kyo was up and about, so while he looked in the refrigerator for some milk, Ayame headed for Shigure's room. 

He knelt down next to Shigure's bed and started poking Shigure. 

Shigure groaned and moved away from the source of the poking. 

"Gure-san…" 

"Huh?"

Ayame poked Shigure one last time, causing him to sit up in bed. 

"A-ya?! What are you doing here?" Shigure asked, surprised. 

Ayame grinned. "I was bored again."

Shigure got a mischievous look on his face. "Let's go surprise Kyo-kun and Yuki-kun!"

*** 

"Boo!"

Kyo jumped straight up in the air, nearly hitting his head on the ceiling. He whirled around, facing Ayame and Shigure, who were grinning like fools. 

Kyo sweatdropped. "Do you two live to torture me?"

"Possibly."

Tohru, having heard the commotion, rushed down the stairs. "Ayame-san!" she said, stunned. "I didn't know you were coming today."

"It was a spur of the moment thing," Ayame answered, suddenly at her side. He bent close to her. "Did you not want me to come?"

"Oh, no, no!" Tohru assured him. "I was just startled, that's all!" She looked past him. "Yuki-kun, you're up!"

Ayame turned around. "Yuki! My darling brother!"

Yuki, who was most definitely not a morning person, was standing behind Ayame with his eyes wide open. "What are you doing here?"

"It was a surprise! I came for absolutely no reason at all!"

"…" 

"Oh, come on, Yuki-kun," Shigure said, grinning as usual, "A-ya's not so bad."

Yuki glared at him.

*** 

Ayame said in a singsong voice, "Yuki…" 

"Yes?" Yuki turned to look at his older brother, who had decided to join the household for breakfast. 

Ayame struck a pose. "I think I'll walk with you to school!"

Kyo nearly choked on his breakfast. Tohru cast a concerned glance in his direction. 

Yuki's voice had a dangerous edge to it. "_What_?"

"Yeah, it'll be fun! I've never seen your high school!" 

Shigure sighed contentedly at the thought of pretty high school girls. "I'd love to go with you, but Mit-chan will be hounding me again today…"

*** 

Yuki, Kyo, Tohru, and Ayame (impeccably dressed, of course) approached Kaibara High School. They didn't notice the girls of the Yuki fanclub following them. 

"Who is that?"

"He looks just like Yuki."

"He's gorgeous!"

Girls inside of the school pressed their faces up against the windows and girls outside pushed each other to get a better view of the light-haired man walking next to the famous Yuki Sohma. 

Ayame looked around and laughed heartily. "This place is great. And the students are just like the students I knew back in the day," Ayame said, noticing the stares that he and Yuki were getting. 

Kyo was getting nervous. Too many people were staring in their direction, it seemed. Tohru, who was standing just in front of him, waved at someone. "Hatsuharu-san! Momiji-kun!" 

Ayame heard her and looked where she was looking. "Oh. That's right. They're here too."

"You!" 

They all turned to see Makoto Takei standing in front of them, looking uptight as usual. "Who are you?" he asked Ayame. "You're not a student here!"

Ayame said grandly, "Who am I, you ask? Why, I am the incredible Ayame Sohma, cousin of Hatsuharu, Momiji, and Kyo Sohma. Oh, and by the way, brother of Yuki Sohma."

__

That got the attention of quite a few girls (and maybe some guys). 

"You—you're related to Yuki?" Makoto asked, stuttering. 

"Of course! Don't you see the resemblance?" Ayame pulled Yuki close to him. 

Yuki narrowed his eyes. "Let go of me," he said darkly. 

Ayame moved away from him. Suddenly, a large group of teenage girls was gathered around Ayame and Yuki. Tohru, Kyo, Haru, and Momiji stared at the crazy girls for a moment. Kyo walked away, deciding to go to class instead of risking accidentally bumping into a girl and changing into a cat. 

Ayame, on the other hand, was relishing the attention. "Yes, girls, I'm Yuki's brother. Hmm…" He paused and looked out at the crowd. "Can you all do something for me?" Everyone leaned in close to listen. Ayame pulled out a pack of business cards. "Take some and give the rest to all the boys you see." He smiled, and several girls swooned. "I expect to see you all at my shop in the next few weeks! Well, after it reopens on Monday, of course. If you come, I'm sure you'll be pleased with my work!" He laughed pompously. "Well, of course you will! I _am _me, after all!" 

Makoto yelled at him, "No soliciting!"

Ayame's response was to hand him a card. 

Yuki's eye started to twitch. He said aloud, "Excuse me, but I'll be going to class now. I don't want to be late."

Some girls moved aside to let Yuki pass. Relieved, he made his way safely over to where Tohru, Haru, and Momiji were standing. "Come on," he said, walking toward the school building. "If something happens, it'll be nii-san's own fault."

Meanwhile, the principal of the school was heading toward the large clump of students milling about outside. "What's going on here?" he asked, pushing his way to the center of the crowd. He caught a flash of long, silver hair and—without knowing why—suddenly felt a chill go down his spine. He pushed through the mass of students and finally spotted the man standing in the middle. "You!"

Ayame turned to look at the principal. "You know, that's what he said a little while ago," he said, gesturing to Makoto. 

The principal said in a hollow sort of voice, "Ayame Sohma."

"That's me." Ayame struck a pose, mostly for the benefit of the girls. 

"I thought I was rid of you forever." The principal fell to his knees. "But now you've come back to haunt me." He started twitching, much like Yuki had a few minutes earlier. "Your hair's longer, you're taller, and your clothes are different, but it's you."

"Nice to see you too." 

The bell rang. The students rushed off to their classes. 

"Why?" the principal continued. "Why me?"

Ayame stared at him in puzzlement. "What's wrong?" He stepped forward. 

The principal looked up at him in fear. "No! Stay away! Get back!" He tried to crawl away, but because his gaze was locked on Ayame's face, he moved away on his backside. "You—I wanted you to cut your hair long ago, but apparently, you never took my advice." 

"Why would I want to ruin these magnificent tresses?" Ayame looked at a lock of his hair. "I like my hair the way it is. I mean, just look at it! And feel it! Isn't it nice? The trick is to use the right shampoo and conditioner—"

"Uh—uh huh." The principal was still trying to get away from Ayame. "And you talk the same way—like you did at that meeting."

"What meeting?" Ayame pondered for a moment. "Oh, _that _meeting." He chortled. "That day was so fun."

"Not for me, it wasn't."

"Well, I'll be leaving now. Wonderful to see you again!" Ayame walked off, oblivious to the fact that the principal was curled up in a little ball on the ground, mumbling incoherently to himself. 

*** 

"Welcome home, Yuki-kun, Tohru-kun, Kyo-kun," Shigure greeted the three teenagers as they entered the house. "How was your day? Anything happen at school?"

Yuki was standing at the doorway. "Not too much. A few things before school with nii-san, but otherwise nothing." He was about to go to his room when he remembered something. "Oh, the only other thing was that the principal was found on the ground outside talking to himself. He appears to have had a nervous breakdown."

*** 

"Mine! Mine, are you home?"

It was afternoon. Ayame had decided to pay his assistant a surprise visit (AN: He seems to be doing that a lot, doesn't he?). At the moment, he was standing in front of Mine's apartment door, trying to find out if she was even there. 

The door opened slightly and Mine's face appeared. "Tencho?"

"Mine! Can I come in?"

"Um… Okay." Mine opened the door wider to let him through. 

Ayame entered the apartment and looked at Mine. Her hair was down in soft waves over her shoulders. She was wearing a plain blue outfit. "Mine, you look nice," Ayame said. 

Mine blushed. "Thank you."

Ayame smiled, then headed for the living room. "I just came over to tell you about the very interesting adventures I had today." 

Mine said, "Tencho, I have to tell you something before you go in the—" It didn't do any good, because Ayame was already in the living room and had discovered what Mine wanted to tell him. 

"Oh. You have company." Ayame stared at the dark-haired man sitting on Mine's couch, who stared back at him in confusion. 

"Mine-san? What's going on?" the man asked.

Mine smiled apologetically. "Satoshi, this is my employer, Ayame Sohma. Tencho, this is Satoshi Takemura."

Ayame tried to smile, but couldn't quite manage it. "Nice—nice to meet you," he said, extending his hand. Satoshi shook it. 

"You too."

Ayame seated himself in a chair. "Am I interrupting something?" he asked, looking like he wasn't going to leave even if he _was _interrupting something. 

"Well—" Satoshi started to say. Mine interrupted him. 

"Oh, no, tencho. Satoshi and I were just talking."

"Ah." Ayame propped up his chin on his hand. "So…"

"So."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the three of them. Mine finally spoke up. "Do you want something to eat?"

"That would be nice," Satoshi replied. 

"Fine," Ayame said. 

"Okay," Mine answered, going to the kitchen. 

Ayame stared at Satoshi for a minute. Satoshi finally noticed and asked him why he was looking at him. 

"What are your intentions toward Mine?" Ayame asked. 

"Eh? I don't think that's any of your business…"

"Mine is very important to me, and if you hurt her…" 

"Is that a threat?" 

"I'm not a threat-making person." Ayame was oddly serious for once. He didn't sound as carefree and jovial as he usually did. 

"Then what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that you are not to hurt Mine in any way."

"You're asking me not to hurt Mine?" Satoshi asked. 

"No," Ayame replied. "I'm _telling _you not to hurt her."

"Here are the snacks," Mine said, coming into the room with a tray of food. "What's going on?" she asked, seeing the solemn looks on both men's faces. 

"Mine, I think I'll go now," Satoshi said, standing up. "And I—I don't think we should see each other anymore. It's just not working out."

Mine blinked. "Oh—okay."

"I'll show myself out." Satoshi left. 

When she heard the door slam shut, Mine sat down heavily on the couch. "I don't understand. Why—why did he—?" She looked up at Ayame. "Tencho, what happened between you two?"

Ayame's golden eyes focused on her. "I'm sorry, Mine. I'm afraid I was rather harsh to him."

"What did you say?"

"I told him not to hurt you. The way I said it may have sounded like a threat." Ayame sighed and moved over to the couch. "Are you all right?"

Mine looked down at her feet. "I think so. We were only casually seeing each other, after all." She smiled at Ayame. "What did you say you came here for?"

"Oh. I wanted to tell you about my day."

"All right." Mine tucked her legs in underneath herself and prepared herself for Ayame's story.

"Well, I woke up early this morning, and I was bored, so I went to Gure-san's house. We scared Kyon-kichi and then—"

*** 

"Well, then the principal showed up and guess who it was? Yeah, the same one who wanted me to cut my hair back in my own high school days!" Ayame was back to his normal self. "I guess he took a job at Kaibara High after I left school. He was acting very strange, though. I'm not sure why…"

Mine smiled softly. "You did all that in the morning?"

"Yep. Just wait till you hear about lunchtime!" 

*** 

"It's getting late," Ayame observed, glancing at the clock. "Maybe I should go."

Mine looked out the window. "Tencho, it's starting to rain. And it's cold," she said, finally noticing that the temperature had dropped. 

Ayame wondered what he was going to do. The cold would most likely cause him to turn into a snake. Because it had been quite warm in the morning, he had brought only a light jacket. It wasn't enough to keep him warm enough on the way home. Darn those weird freak storms. 

Mine looked at him. She knew how Ayame disliked the cold. "I don't think you should go out in this weather. Do you want to stay here for the night?"

Ayame stared at her. "Here?" 

Mine nodded. "I don't see why not. You can sleep on the couch, I suppose." 

Ayame smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Mine. Oh, but I don't have a change of clothes," he said. 

"Well, I don't have anything that will fit you," Mine replied. "You're much taller than I am."

"I guess I can make do," Ayame replied. "I'll just have to sleep in my clothes." (AN: *gasp*) 

"I'll go get you some blankets." 

TO BE CONTINUED… 

Author's Note: Eh? Huh? Wha? Weird… 

BIG THANK YOU TO: lostlight, Azn ChibiSweetpea, Emmi-chan, Neko-P, Silent Sage, Pseudonym Sylphmuse, Chi-san, White Meteor, Lauren, and all the anonymous reviewers!

Replies to: 

Neko-P: Yeah, I'm not sure why I didn't write more for that part… Sorry! I kinda wanted to move on to the next chapter… *grin*

Dark Phoenix: I should have known that, but I didn't… And plus, the hugging thing is part of my plot, so yeah… But thank you for taking the time to point that out! 

Everyone else: Thank you so much for reviewing. I'm kinda proud of this fic. I'm trying to make it really good. Your comments are really encouraging!


	3. Love and Friendship

Author's Note: I think I've decided how the fanfic will go… Hopefully it's good enough for all you readers out there! Oh, by the way, when I started this story, I had only seen the anime for _Fruits Basket_—episodes 1-13 in a language I could understand, and episodes 14-26 in a language I didn't understand. But now I've read some manga scanlations, so I can better understand what the characters were saying in the Ayame episodes… *grin*

Title: Ayame Sohma

Rating: PG

Spoilers: Episode 20 of the anime… and some other stuff…

Summary: Mine is Ayame's best friend. Will she be able to handle knowing his secret?

Disclaimer: I don't own Ayame (*sigh*), Mine, or anything else in _Fruits Basket_. 

Setting: This story takes place after episode 20. 

*** = setting change

__

italics = emphasis

__

italics = thoughts

CAPITALS = emphasis

~Love and Friendship~ 

Ayame was sound asleep on Mine's couch. Mine was sitting in a chair, watching him sleep. She had done this before—sometimes Ayame took naps at work. He was adorable when he was sleeping. When he was awake, Ayame was loud and energetic. When he was sleeping, he looked innocent and vulnerable. Very cute. 

"Mi—" Ayame mumbled. 

Mine held her breath. 

"Mizu…" (AN: That means water, according to my sources.) 

Mine exhaled. For a second there, she had thought that he was going to say her name. She looked out the window. The sun was rising, and the rain had stopped. 

Ayame groaned and rolled over. A second later, Mine saw a flash of gold and realized that Ayame had opened his eyes. "Tencho, you're awake." 

"Good morning, Mine," Ayame replied charmingly, albeit sleepily. He looked into her eyes and smiled. 

Mine stared at him. How did he do that? Ayame always took her breath away when he watched her with that soft look in his eyes. "Ten—tencho…" 

"Hmm?" Ayame sat up and ran his fingers through his hair. 

"Are you hungry? Do you want breakfast?" 

"I've imposed on you enough, Mine. I'm going to take you out for breakfast!" Ayame said, becoming the enthusiastic man we all know and love. 

"Oh… okay," Mine replied. "Um…" 

"Yes?" 

"You—when you were sleeping—you said 'mizu.'"

"Did I? I had a dream that I was in the desert. It was horrible." Ayame fell back onto the couch in a dramatic position. "I had no food, no water, and worst of all, I was wearing clothes that didn't flatter me at all! And the colors clashed!" He shuddered. 

Mine stifled a laugh. 

*** 

After Ayame had cleaned up, he and Mine headed to his place so he could change his clothes. Then they went out to eat. 

As Ayame and Mine walked into a restaurant that served breakfast, they received several stares. Ayame was always attracting attention just based on his looks, but today it was because he was laughing so heartily at something Mine had said. 

The two sat down at a table, oblivious to the strange looks they were getting. After they ordered, they began talking about work. 

"I think we'll be getting a lot more teenage customers," Ayame said. "When I went to Yuki's high school, I handed out a lot of business cards." 

"Tencho, we already have more business than we can handle." Mine gave him a you-should-know-better look. "Unless you want to hire more employees." 

Ayame felt a slight twinge of panic at that statement. More employees meant a higher possibility of accidents. He couldn't let his secret be found out. Besides, he enjoyed the closeness that he had with Mine. "There were so many excited teenagers there… How could I resist? I'm sorry. It won't happen again." 

"It's your business, tencho. You make the decisions. I'm just giving you a suggestion." 

"I know." Ayame's face brightened. "Well, with so much business, we might as well start discussing things we need to do…" 

*** 

"Tori-san!" 

A month after Ayame's shop reopened, Hatori opened his door to find Ayame standing in front of him. "Ayame, what are you doing here?" 

"I'm sick!" Ayame attempted to fall into Hatori's arms, but didn't quite make it. "Tori-san, you dropped me!" he exclaimed from where he was lying on the floor. 

"You're not sick, Ayame." Hatori walked away without even trying to help him up. 

"Well, no. But I _do _want to talk to you! So drop everything you're doing and have a chat with me!" Ayame said, standing up and brushing himself off.

"I'm busy." 

"No, you're not!" Ayame said, looking at Hatori's appointment book. He gasped. "You lied to me, Tori-san! How could you?" 

Hatori sighed. "What is it, Ayame?" 

"I forgot." 

"…" 

"I'm just kidding! It's about Gure-san. His birthday is coming up soon!" (AN: I don't know what month the story is in now, so let's just say that it's the beginning of October. Shigure's a Scorpio, so that'll work.) 

"So?" 

"We need to throw him a party!" 

"Why?" 

"Because he's turning twenty-nine! It's important!" 

Hatori stared at Ayame. "I thought the important birthday was the thirtieth one."

"For my dear Gure-san, every birthday is important!" Ayame danced around. "I know just what my present will be! Wanna know what it is?" 

"Not especially." 

"It's me! Gure-san loves me, and I'm sure he really wants to keep me…" 

"Ayame…" 

"Oh, Tori-san, you know I'm just kidding. I did get him the best birthday present ever, though." Ayame wagged his finger at Hatori. "And I'm not telling you what it is. I don't want you to steal my idea." 

Hatori looked at him. "Ayame, why would I want to steal one of your ideas?" 

"Because they're the best!" 

Hatori ignored that comment and walked outside to sit on the porch. Ayame followed him. Hatori took out a cigarette and lit it. 

"Tori-san, we have to throw Gure-san a party. Let's have it be _before _his birthday so he's surprised!" 

"Fine. But please don't pop out of a cake like you did last time." 

Ayame pouted. "Tori-san, you're such a party pooper." 

Hatori exhaled. He watched the smoke from his cigarette rise, then disappear. "Who are we inviting?" 

"Well, Tohru-kun, of course. And the rest of the Jyuunishi. I don't know if we should invite anyone else." 

"What about that assistant of yours?" Hatori asked with mild curiosity. 

"Mine?" Ayame thought for a moment. "I'm not sure," he said slowly. "What if something happens? I don't want you to have to… you know." He glanced at Hatori's face, knowing the condition of Hatori's left eye. 

__

Ayame is _a good friend, even if he is a bit stupid at times. He tries to spare my feelings when it comes to erasing people's memories… _"Akito wouldn't like it if someone else found out," Hatori murmured. "Do you think you can trust her?" 

Ayame paused. "I tell Mine everything… Except about the curse. I really want to tell her, but what if you have to erase her memory? It would be so strange… Our relationship wouldn't be the same." He fell silent, thoughts of Mine running through his head. 

Hatori nodded. 

"Mine's special," Ayame told Hatori. "She's my best friend. She helped me with my problems with Yuki. She appreciates me for who I am… She understands me." He clenched his fist. "I hate keeping secrets from her. I want—I wish I could—" He stopped. 

Hatori looked at Ayame. "What?"

Ayame looked away, embarrassed. "Nothing. Let's just get on with the party preparations!" 

"All right. But I refuse to let you dress me up." 

"Aww…" 

*** 

"Happy birthday!" Shigure's birthday party guests shouted as Ayame ripped off Shigure's blindfold. 

Shigure looked around at the decorations and the guests. "A-ya, what a wonderful surprise!" Shigure said, looking at Ayame, who was wearing a dress. "And you look ravishing!" 

"Thank you, Gure-san. You do too," Ayame replied, referring to the outfit that he had made for Shigure.

"Thanks for throwing me this party. You always have the best ideas." 

Ayame grinned. "I know." 

Ritsu came over to them. "Aya nii-san! I'm so glad to see you!" 

"Rit-chan!" Ayame and Shigure exclaimed. 

Ritsu looked at Shigure. "I'm so sorry, Shigure nii-san! I didn't greet you, and this party is in honor of you! Gomen nasai!" He went on like that for a while until Shigure poked him. When he got back up, Ayame put an arm around Ritsu's shoulder and led him away from Shigure. 

"Rit-chan, let's talk about your wardrobe," Ayame said. "I think you could use some—"

*** 

"Hello, Ayame-san, Rit-chan-san," Tohru said happily to Ayame and Ritsu. "Ayame-san, it was so nice of you to invite me to Shigure-san's birthday party." 

"Well, I'm glad that you're here!" Ayame said. "I hope you come to my birthday party too." He winked flirtatiously. 

Tohru blushed. 

Of course, with this display of confidence, Ritsu gazed at Ayame with stars in his eyes. 

"Tohru!"

"Momiji-kun!" Tohru excused herself and went to talk to Momiji. 

"Yuki! Where is Yuki?" Ayame said loudly. He found Yuki standing at the edge of the crowd and pranced over to him, Ritsu following close behind. "Yuki! My dear brother!" 

Yuki looked past Ayame. 

"What are you looking at?" Ayame asked, looking over his shoulder. "Oh. Rit-chan, would you mind going—I don't know—somewhere else for a moment?" 

"Gomen nasai! I have disturbed you with my presence!" Ritsu ran off, uttering apologies to no one in particular. 

"Yuki, did you miss me?" 

"No." Yuki gave him a weird look. "Why are you wearing a dress?" 

"Because Gure-san likes it!" 

Yuki shook his head and walked away. 

Ayame started to chase after him, but before he had gone two steps, he crashed into Hatori. "Tori-san! You made it! But you're late." 

Hatori said, "Rin and Kureno aren't coming." (AN: That's just because I don't know anything about them.) 

"Oh." Ayame blinked. "Are you sure you don't want me to dress you up?" he asked, eyeing Hatori's choice of clothing for the evening. 

"I'm sure." 

"I don't want to eat it!" said a loud male voice. 

"Kyo-kun! Eat it! Eat it!" a female voice retorted. 

"No!"

"Eat!" 

"Ow! Ah! Stop!" 

Ayame looked in the direction of all the yelling. "Kagura-chan found Kyon-kichi," he announced. He felt a tugging on his sleeve and looked down. 

"Ayame no oji-chan." 

"Kisa-chan!" Ayame exclaimed, bending down to his young cousin's eye level. "How are you?" 

Kisa smiled. "I'm fine," she said quietly. "When is Shigure no oji-chan going to open his presents?" 

"Oh." Ayame stood up and yelled to Shigure, "Gure-san, present time!" 

"Okay!" Shigure sat down and took a small box off the top of the pile of presents. "Hmm… I wonder what it is," he said as he opened it. A four-inch tall ceramic dog lay inside. "Oh, how cute! It looks just like me! Who gave me this?" 

Ayame pushed Kisa forward. 

"Saa-chan, I love it!" Shigure said, patting Kisa on the head. "Thank you very much." 

"You're welcome." Kisa smiled. 

Shigure went on to open Yuki ("Yuki-kun, you shouldn't have!"), Tohru ("Tohru-kun, how very thoughtful of you!"), Momiji ("Momicchi, what is it exactly?"), and Haru's ("Ooh!") presents. He opened Kagura's rather large present, saying, "Kagura, what will I do with a stuffed cat?" 

Kagura shrugged. 

The pile of boxed presents was gone, but there were still some guests that Shigure had not received gifts from. Shigure looked expectantly at Hatori. "Ha-san, where's my present?" 

"What makes you think I got you a present?" 

Shigure looked hurt. "Ha-san…" 

Hatori rolled his eyes and handed him what seemed like the world's supply of cigarettes. 

Shigure then turned to Ritsu, who looked like he was on the edge of a nervous breakdown. "Rit-chan?" 

"Gomen nasai! Shigure nii-san, I seem to have misplaced your present! I'm such a bad person! I should die!" Ritsu started freaking out again. "I brought it! I did! But I'm so shameful that it must have disappeared just to teach me a lesson!" 

"Rit-chan…" 

"Gomen nasai! Gomen nasai!" 

Shigure poked Ritsu in the ribs. "Rit-chan, your present is right here." He pointed to a bag on the floor. "I must have missed it before." 

After he opened Ritsu's present, he looked at Kyo. 

"I don't know why I wasted money on you," Kyo said. He gave Shigure an unwrapped book. 

Hiro didn't have a proper present for Shigure, so he just gave him a drawing of a dog. 

Finally, Shigure came to Ayame, who had been dancing around the entire time, waiting for his turn. He wanted to surprise Shigure with the "best present ever." 

Shigure grinned, seeing his cousin so excited. This was going to be good. "A-ya, you didn't forget to get me a present, did you?" 

Ayame pulled out a package from behind his back. He plopped down next to Shigure and said excitedly, "Open it, open it, open it!" 

Shigure ripped off the wrapping paper to find… a photo album! He opened it, reading what Ayame had written on the inside cover—"To Shigure, with much love. Ayame." Then he started looking through the pictures. The first two-thirds of the album was filled with photographs of pretty high school girls wearing Ayame's designer clothes. The last third contained pictures of Ayame posing in different ways. "A-ya! This is the best present ever!" 

"See, Tori-san?" Ayame said to Hatori. "I told you I'd get him the best present ever!" 

Hatori didn't reply. It wasn't as if he had argued with Ayame about it or anything. 

"A-ya, I love you even more now!" Shigure was flipping through the album, admiring each girl in turn. "How did you get these pictures?" 

Yuki and Tohru leaned in close to see. Yuki said suspiciously, "Those are girls from our school…" 

Ayame said, "Well, some of the girls I gave my business cards to came by the shop… When they tried on their outfits, I asked if they would mind having their photographs taken. Most of them let me." 

Tohru broke in, "These photographs are very tastefully done!" 

Ayame graciously accepted the compliment. "Would you like me to take _your_ picture?" he asked, suddenly right next to her. He was holding a camera, which he had produced from out of nowhere, apparently. 

Yuki and Kyo objected to that, of course. They both moved forward to hurt Ayame, but Shigure got his attention before they had a chance. 

"A-ya, what is this?" 

Ayame turned around. Shigure was holding up a photograph that Ayame hadn't purposely placed into the photo album. "Oh," Ayame said, taking it. "That wasn't for you." 

"Then who was it for?" Shigure asked, raising an eyebrow. "That was a picture of Mine-san." (AN: *grin*) 

Tohru had a puzzled look on her face. "Why was a picture of Mine-san in the album?" 

"I must have accidentally put it in there." 

"But why did you take one in the first place?" Shigure asked, curious. "She's not modeling anything."

Haru pushed in close to see the picture in question. "And she's not even looking at the camera." 

Ayame tried to find somewhere to put the picture, but the dress he was wearing had no pockets. He ran off to change into his regular clothes (AN: I think the red thingy that he wears… yah?). Well, he didn't really have pockets in that either, so he just tried to keep the photograph out of sight. 

He went outside, where Hatori and Shigure were enjoying a good smoke. He sat away from them so he wouldn't breathe in so much smoke. He wanted to think, anyway. 

The three on the porch heard a voice from inside yelling, "You did that on purpose, kuso nezumi!" 

"Why would I bother doing anything to you, baka neko?" 

Yet another fight was breaking out between Yuki and Kyo. 

"Kyo-kun, don't fight with Yun-chan! It's Shi-chan's birthday party!" Kagura. 

*** 

Mine was sitting in the shop, hemming a skirt. It was too quiet in the store by herself. It was almost never quiet when the storeowner was present. Ayame just had that way about him. 

Mine wondered how Shigure's birthday party was going. _I wonder if tencho is having fun, _she thought. _Working isn't so much fun when he's not around. _Ayame had told her that he was throwing his cousin a surprise birthday party, and he was only inviting close family and friends. He had pulled another dramatic scene, apologizing for not taking her to the party. Mine had reassured him, saying that she would be fine by herself. But now she wasn't so sure. 

__

I hope tencho comes back soon.

*** 

Ayame looked at the picture he had taken of Mine. He didn't know why he had taken it. He had been standing in his store, having just sent a high school girl on her way. He had turned around and seen Mine adjusting something on a mannequin. Before he even realized that he had done it, he had taken her picture. She hadn't noticed. 

Now he was sitting on Shigure's porch, wondering why he had done that. Mine… She always made him feel better when he felt bad about Yuki or other such things. And when Ayame went to work and saw her smiling face, he just felt… good. _We get along really well, _he thought. _We never get mad at each other or anything. _He remembered all the times that Mine had comforted him. _I want to comfort her like she comforts me. I want—I want to hold her. I want to help her when she's sad. I know she is sometimes, even if she doesn't talk to me about her problems as much as I talk to her about my problems. _Ayame felt his lips curving into a smile as he continued to look at Mine's picture. _Mine is beautiful_, he thought. _She might not be glamorous and stunning, but to me, Mine is beautiful. She's one of the few people in this world who actually care about me. _

"A-ya?" 

Ayame looked up to see Shigure and Hatori looking back at him. 

"You're thinking about Mine, aren't you?" Hatori asked. 

"Ah, Tori-san, you know me so well." 

"What are you thinking?" Shigure asked, interested. 

Ayame scooted over to Shigure and put his head on his shoulder. "I was just thinking about how wonderful Mine is. She's so sweet and cute and—" His face turned a little red. (AN: Wah, Ayame blushing! Kawaii! *grin*) 

Shigure put an arm around Ayame's shoulders and put out his cigarette. "What about me, A-ya?" 

"You too." Ayame looked at Hatori. "I love you too, Tori-san."

Hatori remained silent. He extinguished his cigarette as Shigure asked Ayame teasingly, "Do you love Mine-san too?" 

Surprisingly, Ayame answered the question seriously. "Maybe."

Hatori looked out at the night sky. "Ayame, what do you mean? Be honest with yourself." 

"I—I love her," Ayame realized. "I do." 

"Eh?" Shigure looked curiously at his cousin.

"I love her—like I love you two… but deeper. But I'm not _in _love with her." _Not yet, anyway, _Ayame thought. He smiled, happy that he had finally figure out how he felt about Mine. "I think—"

"Aaaah!" came a scream from inside. 

POOF! 

"Ah!" 

POOF! 

Hatori, Shigure, and Ayame rushed inside. Haru and Hiro had turned into their animal forms. Tohru was freaking out. "I'm sorry! It's my fault! I shouldn't have done that—"

"Tohru-kun, what happened?" Shigure asked. 

Tohru turned around—too quickly, it seems—and crashed into Shigure. POOF! Tohru fell. 

"Honda-san!" Yuki tried to help her up, but slipped—someone had spilled something on the floor—and fell onto Tohru. POOF!

"Sumimasen!" Ritsu's panicked voice was heard. "I spilled my drink and I didn't clean it up! I have caused this entire disaster! Gomen nasai!" Uh oh. A panicked Ritsu running around can only lead to one thing—an accident. He fell onto Kyo, who, in turn, ended up on the floor. 

"Kyo-kun!" Tohru got too close and caused him to turn into a cat with a POOF! 

Kagura grabbed feline Kyo so he wouldn't be crushed by Ritsu, who had tried to steady himself but failed. She moved the wrong way, though, and hit Hatori. Hatori fell onto Tohru, who had just gotten up from the floor. Hatori weighed a lot more than Tohru did, so she ended up on the floor—again. 

Ritsu bumped into Tohru as he fell down. POOF! 

Shigure was trying to be a cute dog, but he went about it all wrong and pushed Ayame into Hatori, who was seahorse-sized at the moment. That meant that Ayame was _actually _pushed into Tohru. POOF! Snake Ayame tried to get Hatori away from the chaos, since Hatori wasn't really capable of doing so himself. 

"Tohru!" Momiji ran over, trying to be helpful. However, Ritsu had apparently spilled a lot on the floor, because Momiji slipped and Tohru fell onto the floor with a male Jyuunishi on top of her yet again. 

Tohru finally stood (with Kisa and Kagura's help) and surveyed the chaos. A dog, a snake, a seahorse, a monkey, a mouse, a cat, a cow, and a sheep were in Shigure's living room. The room looked completely trashed. She sweatdropped. "I'm sorry, everyone. I ruined things."

"It's okay, Tohru-kun," Shigure barked. "This party has been really fun." He poked Tohru with his nose. "The best birthday party I've had in years." 

Ayame laughed heartily. "What about the party we threw for you when you turned twenty-two?" 

"I'll never forget that one," Shigure said with a chuckle. 

Hatori muttered, "Neither will I." 

"What happened?" Tohru asked innocently. 

"You don't want to know." 

POOF! POOF! POOF! POOF!

Kagura and Kisa tossed Yuki, Ayame, Haru, and Ritsu's clothes to them. Of course, they got hopelessly mixed up, so there was a bit of trading before any of them actually started getting dressed. Tohru turned away and hid her face. "I didn't see anything!" 

POOF! Kagura ran over to Kyo, holding his clothes. 

POOF! POOF! POOF! Hatori, Shigure, and Hiro changed back. Kisa gave them their clothes. 

And with one final POOF!, Momiji turned back into a human. He got his own clothes and put them on. 

When they were all dressed, Tohru turned around to face them. She smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry. I'll clean up everything." 

(AN: Okay, so that part was mostly for laughs, but I'll try to work it into the plot somewhere. *grin* And yes, that _was _a lot of accidental hugging, but hey, it would only be a disaster if they _all _changed…)

*** 

Ayame was saying goodbye to Shigure. "Till next time, Gure-san." 

"Of course, A-ya. Thank you for the fantastic present." Shigure winked and whispered, "Maybe next time you'll bring Mine-san."

"Maybe." Ayame grinned, then left. 

*** 

It was late, but Ayame decided to check on his shop anyway. When he had left to go to Shigure's party, he had left Mine in charge of the shop. He just wanted to make sure she had locked up and taken care of everything. 

__

Hmm. The light was still on when Ayame entered the shop. "Mine? Mine, are you still here?" He walked into the other room and found Mine asleep on the sofa. She had an unfinished blouse in her hands. 

Ayame smiled softly and took Mine's work away. He sat down on the cushion that Mine wasn't stretched out on. He looked down at her and lightly brushed her bangs away from her face. He remembered the events of the party and thought, _It's a good thing I didn't invite her to Gure-san's party. Otherwise I'd have a lot of explaining to do. _Then he curled up on his cushion and within minutes, was fast asleep. 

TO BE CONTINUED… 

Author's Notes: I like it! I wrote it kinda strangely… And sorry that they're kinda out of character… Mine, mostly… I think I get Ayame right when he's around Shigure and Hatori… Why can't I get Ayame and Mine right when they're together?! It's driving me crazy! But um… review, please! 

BIG THANK YOU TO: lostlight, Azn ChibiSweetpea, Emmi-chan, Neko-P, Silent Sage, Pseudonym Sylphmuse, Chi-san, White Meteor, Lauren, Lady of the Ink, Shirodachi, Maeven, Digi-riven, and all the anonymous reviewers!

Replies to: 

Lady of the Ink: *grin* Thank you very much! "Ayame-ness", huh? I try to make all the technical stuff good so people can better understand what I'm writing…

Emiko-san: Haha, I still have unfinished fics out there… About my grammar, umm… I try to make sure that it's fine before I put up a chapter… 

GoodGurl: Thanks for your comments, and did I really inspire you to write your own fic? 

Everyone else: I still thank you all very much for reviewing! I feel so loved! 


	4. Happiness

Author's Note: Thanks for all the comments! Let's see if I can get Mine back in character…

Title: Ayame Sohma

Rating: PG

Spoilers: Episode 20 of the anime… and some other stuff…

Summary: Mine is Ayame's best friend. Will she be able to handle knowing his secret?

Disclaimer: I don't own Ayame (*sigh*), Mine, or anything else in _Fruits Basket_. 

Setting: This story takes place after episode 20. 

*** = setting change

__

italics = emphasis

__

italics = thoughts

~Happiness~

"Aya-chan!" 

Ayame flounced into the front room. To his surprise and delight, Tohru, Kagura, and Kisa had come to visit. "What brings you all here today? Tohru-kun, do you want to buy a dress to wear for Yuki?" 

Tohru blushed and shook her head no several times. 

"Tencho, which type of lace would go better with—?" Mine stopped, seeing who was standing in the shop. "Tohru-chan!" 

Tohru smiled. "Hello, Mine-san." 

"Come, come!" Ayame said, ushering them all to the back. "I'm so happy you're all here!" He paused. "Too bad my brother didn't come with you." 

After they had all seated themselves, Ayame asked, "So, why have I been given the pleasure of seeing my adorable cousins and princess Tohru-kun?" 

"Kisa-san wanted to visit your shop," Tohru explained. "And Kagura-san said she'd only been here once and wanted to see it again. I thought it would be nice to visit Ayame-san again, so we came." 

Ayame nodded. "I see. Anything I can do for you? A new dress, perhaps? A skirt? Robe? Blouse?" 

Kisa spoke up shyly, "I'd like a new dress." 

Mine's eyes lit up. "Let me dress you up! You're such a pretty little girl, I'm sure you'll look wonderful!"

Ayame interrupted, "Do we have anything in her size?" 

Mine held Kisa at arm's length and considered for a moment. "The blue one!" she declared finally. "That'll fit!" 

"Good thinking, Mine," Ayame said, smiling. 

Mine noticed that his smile always reached his eyes. To her, that meant that Ayame didn't smile unless he meant it. He was sincere, even when what he was being sincere about was something strange. Mine loved seeing her boss smile. It made her happy. "Yay! I got complimented by tencho!" she said, pulling Kisa into another room. 

Ayame asked Kagura, "How are things with you and Kyon-kichi-kun?" 

Kagura smiled. "They're getting better. I think Kyo-kun's starting to accept me." 

Tohru added, "Yes, Kyo-kun and Kagura-san's relationship is getting much better!" 

"You really think so, Tohru-kun?" Kagura asked hopefully with her hands clasped in front of her. 

Tohru nodded. 

Ayame smiled. Kagura didn't know it, but she was one of Ayame's favorite cousins. She tried not to let things get to her, just like he did. She was also like Ayame in that she was perky most of the time. Ayame admired her because she never gave up on Kyo, even though the boy always refused her. Plus, she was just so darn cute! 

"Ayame-san," Tohru said, "Yuki-kun wanted me to tell you that he'll visit you next week." 

"Oh," Ayame replied. "Will you be coming too?" 

"No," Tohru answered. "He said he was coming by himself." 

"Excellent!" Ayame exclaimed, standing up in excitement. "My brother wants to bond with me! I knew he would come around!" 

The two girls smiled. Kagura looked at her older cousin and remembered something. "Aya-chan, your birthday's coming up soon. What kind of present do you want?" 

"Kagura-chan, you should pick out the present yourself," Ayame said in mock disapproval. "You want to surprise me, don't you?"

"Sorry, Aya-chan…" 

He smiled softly. "It's okay. I don't care what you get me as long as it's from your heart." He put a finger to his lips. "Don't tell anyone else though. _You_ can get me whatever you want, but the others have to think really hard about it." 

Kagura nodded and grinned. 

"Tencho, Kisa-chan's ready," Mine announced, appearing next to him. 

"Great! Bring her in!" 

Mine ushered the young girl into the room. Kisa was wearing a pretty, light blue dress. She smiled shyly and asked timidly, "How do I look?" 

Tohru ran over to her excitedly and hugged her. "Kisa-san, you're so adorable!" 

"Wonderful!" Ayame said. "Mine, congratulations on another job well done!" 

"Thank you, tencho! I'm so happy that I'm worthy of your praise!" Mine smiled and asked, "Did you have a nice chat with Tohru-chan and Kagura-chan?" 

"Yes. And guess what? Yuki will be visiting me next week! And he decided to come by himself!" 

Mine clapped her hands. "Tencho will be able to spend quality time with his otouto-kun!" 

"I knew Yuki would come around! No one is able to resist the magnificence that is me! Not even my stubborn little brother!" 

*** 

"Goodbye, Ayame-san," Tohru said. She, Kagura, and Kisa were standing at the entrance to the shop. "I had a wonderful time." 

"Goodbye, Ayame no oji-chan," Kisa said, looking up at Ayame. 

Ayame bent down in front of Kisa and gave her a hug. "Feel free to come here whenever you want, Kisa-chan." 

Kisa nodded. 

Ayame stood up and hugged Kagura too. "Come again, Kagura-chan! You too, Tohru-kun," he said, letting go of his cousin. 

"Bye bye!" Kagura waved as she and her companions exited the store. 

Mine stood a few feet behind Ayame, wondering why she couldn't hug him, but his cousins could. Was it because they were family? Or was it something else? 

The silver-haired man turned around to see his employee staring at him. "Mine, is something on your mind?" 

Mine shook her head and said cheerfully, "Oh, it's nothing, tencho. I'm glad you had a good time with Tohru-chan and your cousins. I hope you and your brother get along as well when he visits again!" _Maybe tencho only lets his family be that close to him. _

*** 

Mine was sitting in the shop during the third week of November, working on an outfit. Suddenly, her employer walked in, and she quickly hid her work behind her back. "Tencho!" 

Ayame asked concernedly, "Yes, Mine? Is something wrong? You seem nervous." 

Mine shook her head repeatedly. "You just surprised me, that's all." 

Ayame blinked and would have pursued the subject further, but a customer had entered the store and was asking for help. He went to talk to the customer, giving Mine a puzzled look as he left the room. 

Mine exhaled, relieved. She put the outfit underneath a pile of fabrics. It wouldn't do for Ayame to find his birthday present before it was finished. (AN: *grin*)

*** 

"Ayame." 

"Tori-san!" Ayame said excitedly, entering Hatori's office. "Tori-san, I'm so happy that you invited me here on my birthday!" (AN: Ayame's a Sagittarius, I believe.)

"I can't go to your party tonight," Hatori said, "but Shigure insisted that I get you a birthday present." He handed Ayame a wrapped box. 

Ayame took the gift from Hatori. "Tori-san is so thoughtful! I'll open it later. I just know it'll be something nice! Thank you so much!" 

"Happy birthday, Ayame." 

Ayame asked curiously, "Why can't you go to my birthday party?" 

"Akito's been feeling worse lately. I've been ordered to stay to take care of him." 

Ayame sighed. "I really wanted you to come, Tori-san." 

"I'll see what I can do," Hatori replied. 

"Bye, Tori-san." Ayame headed to Shigure's house, which was to be the location of yet another Sohma birthday party.

*** 

"You wish Mine-san were here, don't you?" 

Ayame was sitting by himself outside. Shigure had just come out to check on him. 

Ayame looked up at the tall figure of his cousin and smiled. "A little." 

Shigure sat down next to him. "Maybe next time, A-ya." 

"I miss her, Gure-san," Ayame said. "I've never missed her this much before." 

Shigure just nodded. Ayame would figure it out soon. "Come on, A-ya. Let's go back inside and have some fun." 

Ayame followed Shigure back inside, where he gladly resumed his role as guest of honor. 

***

"Bye, Gure-san! Goodbye, Tohru-kun, Yuki, and Kyon-kichi-kun!" Ayame said, waving to the residents of Shigure's house. "That was the best birthday party I ever had! Or was it the second? Oh, well, it doesn't matter! Goodbye, my dear friends!" 

*** 

Ayame approached his apartment and noticed a familiar brown-haired person leaning on the door, half-asleep. "Mine?!" 

"Tencho," Mine said sleepily, "I wanted to give you your present." She held up the outfit she had been working on for the past month. "Do you like it?" 

Ayame stared. The long, robe-like outfit was done in the Chinese style that he liked. It was black and trimmed with gold and silver embroidery at the edges. The buttons were gold-colored. The most spectacular thing about it, however, was the design that Mine had made. Several silvery-white snakes had been carefully embroidered on the fabric. They stretched all over it, running across both the back and the front. Ayame lightly touched one of them in wonder. 

Mine said bashfully, "I was going to put dragons on it, but for some reason, I thought snakes would suit you better. If you don't like it—"

'No, no. I love it," Ayame said, taking it from her hands. He snapped out of his trance, suddenly realizing that they were still out in the hall. "Oh. Mine, please come in," he said, unlocking his door. 

"I hope it fits right," Mine said, sitting down on Ayame's sofa. 

"I'll go try it on," Ayame said, rushing into another room. 

Mine sat quietly. It had been painstaking work, but it had been worth it. Anything that made her tencho happy was worth doing. Besides, making clothes was what she did for a living. She enjoyed doing it. 

A minute later, Ayame came back into the living room. "Well?"

Mine looked up. Ayame looked—perfect. His silver hair and golden eyes perfectly matched the colors of the outfit. The black material provided perfect contrast to the lightness of Ayame's natural coloring. 

"Well? Do I look as amazing as I should?" 

Mine smiled. "Tencho looks like a prince." 

"Thank you, Mine. You're wonderful." Ayame wondered why he felt so lightheaded. _Is this what love feels like? _He had always been a romantic, but he had never felt quite like this. 

Mine stood. "I should go," she said. "I just wanted to give you your present." 

"Okay. Goodnight." 

"Goodnight." Mine left the apartment.

TO BE CONTINUED… 

Author's Note: Dun dun dun! Cliffie! *sigh* And once again, out-of-characterness rears its ugly head… You know what? I don't think I get the characters _wrong_, exactly… I think I just show too much of the minor parts of their personalities… Do you think so? I don't know. Sorry that was so short… I just… couldn't do anything more…


	5. Truth

Author's Note: Oy… I haven't updated in… a long time… Sorry! I hope this chapter makes up for it.

Title: Ayame Sohma

Rating: PG

Spoilers: Episode 20 of the anime… and some other stuff…

Summary: Mine is Ayame's best friend. Will she be able to handle knowing his secret?

Disclaimer: I don't own Ayame (*sigh*), Mine, or anything else in _Fruits Basket_. 

Setting: This story takes place after episode 20. 

*** = setting change

_italics _= emphasis

_italics _= thoughts

CAPITALS = emphasis

~Truth~

The rest of December passed quickly. January came and went. 

At the beginning of February, Ayame and Mine were swamped with work. Valentine's Day was coming up, and many people were ordering outfits for the occasion.

"Mine, could you hand me that—yes, thank you." Ayame was busy trying to design clothes that nobody had ever seen before—with the help of his wonderful assistant, of course. 

Mine thought as she worked. Ever since Ayame's birthday, she had not been able to get the man out of her mind. 

Ayame was a sweet person. He had always been kind to her, but now his kindness had taken on a different tone. Mine couldn't figure out what it was. Had something changed between them? Nothing bad, surely, because their relationship was still intact. With each passing day, Mine became more and more curious about the face that Ayame hid from the world. 

Perhaps it was just because of the fact that Valentine's Day was approaching, but she had recently begun thinking of Ayame in a more romantic fashion. She couldn't stop thinking about how handsome he was every time she saw him. She had also begun wishing that he had no rule against hugging. She knew it was wrong to have such thoughts. Ayame was her employer after all, and it would improper to have a romantic relationship with him. However, whenever she saw Ayame's smile, she didn't care about what she should or should not think. She just smiled back, allowing her happiness to show. 

*** 

It had been almost half an hour since Mine had left the shop with a cheerful "Goodnight, tencho!" Ayame was still in the shop, putting away materials. 

Why did it always feel wrong when Mine wasn't there? Ayame looked around. What was wrong with the shop when his bubbly assistant left? He sat down to ponder. 

A few minutes later, the tall man decided to leave. It was late. He'd figure it out in the morning. 

As he opened the door and stepped outside, a blast of cold air hit him in the face. That was when he realized what was wrong. The store was _cold. _Without Mine's light and warmth, the store felt cold and dead. 

Ayame shivered. He was not a big fan of the cold. If Mine never came into the shop again, Ayame wouldn't be able to handle it. 

*** 

"Tori-san! I'm so glad you called!" Ayame said. He had been about to leave for work when the phone rang. Hatori had turned out to be the owner of the voice on the other end. 

"Ayame, Akito wants to see you tomorrow." 

"What?" Ayame was puzzled. "Why?" 

"I don't know." 

Ayame felt a twinge of fear. "Have I done something wrong?" 

Hatori replied, "I don't believe you have. Akito usually ignores everything you do." 

"Will you be there?" 

"No. He wants to see you alone." 

*** 

"Shigure tells me that you've grown rather fond of that assistant of yours," Akito said, staring at Ayame. 

Ayame, kneeling on the floor in front of him, replied. "I suppose." 

"Just how close are you?" 

"We're very good friends." 

"Hmm." Akito began circling Ayame. "I think you're becoming too attached to her, just like everyone has become to that Tohru girl." 

Ayame remained silent. 

"Be careful not to like her too much. You may regret it." 

*** 

Mine Kuramae was concerned. Ayame had been acting strange all day. He had paid a visit to the Sohma main house earlier that day, and his demeanor had been substantially more subdued than usual. 

Mine's employer—and closest friend—was keeping something from her. She got the feeling that it was something very important and very terrible. She wanted to help Ayame; she really did. But how could she when she didn't even know what the problem was? 

"Is something wrong, tencho?" she asked. 

Ayame sighed. "No, Mine. Everything's fine." 

"Something's wrong," Mine pressed. "Does this have something to do with your brother?" 

"No." 

"I want to help you, tencho. Please tell me what's wrong." 

Ayame stopped his work. "There are some things I can't tell you, Mine." 

Mine's face became sad. "Maybe I shouldn't tell you, this, tencho." 

"Tell me what?" Ayame tilted his head and peered closer at her. 

Mine took a deep breath and decided to just tell him how she felt. "You're very important to me. I—I want to know who you are—your true self. I feel pain when I know that you're hurt and won't tell me what is bothering you." 

"Why would it matter how much I tell you?" Ayame asked. 

"I care about you," replied Mine. 

Ayame looked at her sweet face and felt some feelings stir within him. 

"You really want to know who I am, Mine?" Ayame asked, his voice hushed. He looked into Mine's eyes. He was scaring her. He knew he was, but he couldn't dwell on that now. "Do you really want to know my secret?" 

Mine swallowed. _Tencho—no, Ayame-san—has so much pain in his eyes. I have to know why. _"Yes," she said, nodding. 

Ayame kept staring intently at her. Then he moved forward and stood right in front of her. "Don't be afraid," he whispered.

"I'm not afraid," Mine replied. _How could I be afraid of you? _

Ayame put his arms around Mine and held her to his chest. 

POOF!

TO BE CONTINUED… 

Author's Note: Ooh… Cliffhanger… Okay, I promise I will update much sooner than I did last time! I feel so bad… Again, I apologize for my laziness…


	6. The Sohma Family

Author's Note: Wow, look at all the reviews! Thanks so much, guys! Sorry I didn't update when I said I would. I had some personal problems, and my Internet was also acting up, so yeah. Warning: serious Ayame in this chapter.

Title: Ayame Sohma

Rating: PG

Spoilers: Episode 20 of the anime… and some other stuff…

Summary: Mine is Ayame's best friend. Will she be able to handle knowing his secret?

Disclaimer: I don't own Ayame (sigh), Mine, or anything else in _Fruits Basket_.

Setting: This story takes place after episode 20.

!!! = setting change

_italics _= emphasis

-The Sohma Family-

Ayame Sohma disappeared right before Mine's eyes.

Confused, the young woman looked around, searching for Ayame. She glanced down at her feet. To her surprise, a whitish-silver snake lay on the floor. "Oh, what a cute little hebi!"

"Why thank you!" Ayame's voice boomed from the floor.

Shocked, Mine stared at the snake. "Ayame-san?"

"Yes, Mine." The snake slithered to the doorway. Ayame reached the other room just as he transformed back into himself. "Mine, could you get me my clothes?"

"Oh!" Mine blushed and bent to pick up Ayame's clothes, which had been left on the floor.

!!!

After Ayame put his clothes back on, he and Mine settled down in two comfortable chairs directly across from each other.

Bright-eyed, Mine asked, "Ayame-san, how did you become a snake?"

Ayame sighed. "I don't want to make you sad," he said, "but I'm afraid I have to. You want to know the truth about me, so I will tell you the secrets that not many people are privileged to know."

Mine's large brown eyes were focused entirely on him.

"The Sohma family—is cursed," Ayame began.

Mine furrowed her brows. Cursed?

"As I demonstrated, I turn into a snake when I hug a member of the opposite sex. That's why—that's why I never let you do that."

Mine blinked.

"There are twelve others like me. Each of them turns into a different Jyuunishi animal—for some reason, the cat is included."

She nodded.

Ayame held her attention with the steadiness of his gaze. "We can hug each other without transforming, but when it comes to those who aren't of the Jyuunishi—"

"I see." Mine was troubled by this. Ayame's fear of exposure must be great. And yet, Ayame brought extreme confidence and boldness wherever he went. Fear was never something that Mine had associated with him.

"The head of our household is Akito Sohma. He controls the Sohma family—especially the Jyuunishi." Slight bitterness entered his next words. "My parents always wanted his approval, ever since he was born. I couldn't understand why they respected a baby so much when they seemed to care nothing for me, their own son. When Yuki was born, Akito formed an attachment to him—his attention is still constantly fixated on Yuki." Ayame tilted his head almost thoughtfully. "Yuki is afraid of him."

Mine remained silent, allowing him to speak freely.

"I don't know why we obey him. Maybe we're all too afraid of him," Ayame mused. "Even those of us who are older than he is."

A minute passed. Neither Mine nor Ayame moved.

Finally, Ayame shifted in his seat. Mine watched him curiously.

"Mine, do you understand the nature of our curse? It is meant to destroy us. We have survived so far, but the burden becomes heavier with each generation. We are desperate to find a cure. We need one, because the curse extends not only through us, but through the rest of the family as well. My mother is cursed, just as Yuki and I are. She—she doesn't know whether to hate or love us, and the fact that she has two sons of the Jyuunishi—"

Mine closed her eyes for a few seconds, trying to imagine the pain that the Sohmas must feel every day of their lives.

"I want to make people happy," Ayame told her. "Why do you think I'm so cheerful all the time? There is so much sadness in the Sohma family. I guess that one day I decided that I wanted to change that. I focused on others so much that I ignored Yuki. I forgot that he needed help too," he said sadly.

"Ayame-san—"

"When I was growing up, I loved Tori-san the most," he continued. "He always said what I needed to hear. And he was so kind-hearted. He cares so much about everyone that sometimes he forgets about himself." Ayame paused before continuing. "I loved Gure-san too. He was like me, always wanting to have fun."

Mine listened carefully, not wanting to miss anything he said. Ayame had poured out his soul to her about his poor relationship with his brother, but he had never told her anything like _this_. If he was going to be this honest with her, she could at least pay attention.

"They've been my friends since before I can remember, and I am grateful to have them. If I hadn't met them, then I'd probably be a very different person." Ayame turned his head, and a few strands of hair obscured Mine's view of his face. "I am not the most cursed Sohma. I am happy enough—I'm one of the luckier ones."

He faced Mine again. "I'm not quite sure how I became how I am today. I suppose I must have unconsciously let my desire to bring happiness into the family affect my words and actions."

A sigh escaped him. "It isn't fair—we live in fear of being exposed by a simple hug from the opposite sex." The oddly beautiful golden eyes were hidden for a moment before becoming visible again. "But I believe that the real threat lies within our family itself."

Ayame looked away from Mine as he spoke his next words. "I'm not sure what our ancestors did to deserve such a curse—but our fates are sealed from the moment we are conceived. Before we can even think or act, the curse is placed on us… Mothers and fathers turn against their children—children grow up forever lonely, when all they need is love… We are a family, and families are supposed to support each other, not—not run away from each other—like I did…" Ayame stopped before the emotions became too strong to hold back.

Mine gasped and put a hand to her mouth. Tears glistened in her eyes.

"I shouldn't have abandoned my family like that. Maybe I'm just too cold-blooded—"

"No." Mine's eyes flickered in emotion. Ayame was warm—always. She wouldn't allow him to say things like that. She couldn't let Ayame Sohma—a man who had given her, a lowly fashion student who had been deemed too eccentric to work for others, a chance to express her art. He had taught her so much—was still teaching her—and she knew that what he had just said was completely untrue.

"No," Mine repeated. "You just didn't understand at the time. But you're older now, and you want to help. That isn't how a cold-blooded person would feel."

Ayame managed a small laugh. "You always manage to make me feel better, Mine." A genuine smile graced his features. It was good to see after such sobering talk.

Mine stood and took a step forward, her hands clasped above her heart. "It's the least I can do, since you trust me with knowing all of this."

"I've always felt so close to you… And that's why—that's why I felt I could tell you all of this."

Mine smiled. "Thank you."

"There is so much more for me to tell you—but not now. Someday, you'll know everything."

"Arigatou gozaimasu." (AN: I hope I spelled that right.)

Gorgeous, confident, and eccentric. Three words that perfectly describe Ayame Sohma. Mine now had other words to describe the man before her. Honest, caring, and loyal were some of these. Ayame wasn't perfect, but he had a big heart.

Ayame was distracted by the serious thoughts in his head. As he had just told Mine, Akito ruled the lives of the Jyuunishi… He most likely wouldn't be pleased to hear that Mine knew the secret. He didn't care much about Ayame, dismissing him as a useless fool. Akito usually concerned himself with the members of the Jyuunishi that Ayame loved most—Hatori, Shigure, and Yuki. But now, with what he had just done, Ayame would be drawing the attention of the head of the family to himself.

Tohru Honda was a special case. Would Mine Kuramae be allowed to keep her knowledge of the Sohma family too?

TO BE CONTINUED…

Author's Note: Good? Please review if you can! I'd like to get people's thoughts on this chapter.

BIG THANK YOU TO: lostlight, Azn ChibiSweetpea, Emmi-chan, Neko-P, Silent Sage, Pseudonym Sylphmuse, Chi-san1, White Meteor, ThistleMarie, Lady of the Ink, midnightcrow, Maeven, Digi-riven, Ohimesama1, GoodGurl, Sailor Panda, Neko-Metallium, JadOo, Blue Quartz, Jessiegurl43953, GoddessLD, SilverMagiccraft, KiwiTenjou, Tenniyo, machoupitchounette, HelloKat, shadowcat15, Aisha C, MetroLuz, Kyou the outsider, Delphine Pryde, lhuntathraeil, Puppet in the Corner, Rein of Review inc, Elfie-chan, GirlWaterShaman, and all the anonymous reviewers!

Replies to:

HelloKat: Thank you! That was what I was trying to get across, and I'm glad you acknowledged that. Maybe I didn't fail so badly after all…

shadowcat15: Yeah, Akito's not going to be very happy at all…

Lady of the Ink: Thank you for your comments. I'm so sorry for not updating for so long and leaving everyone wondering what was going to happen to the story.

Everyone else: Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments! I feel so loved!


End file.
